Road to Recovery (cult) group Plymouth – the BIG LIE!

It would seem that this cult group has finally abandoned any effort to feign even a passing resemblance to an AA group. Their website now carries (and has done so for some time) adverts for the "circuit speaker" brigade. As mentioned elsewhere on our own website this is a relatively novel, and we would say entirely unwelcome development in Great Britain with "personalities" (if such a term can be applied to those whose output - and 'insights' - consist mostly of anodyne commentary and "wow" factor marketing) drawn both from Great Britain and from overseas (most notably the US), these experts (largely self-appointed) 'qualified' apparently to belabour us with the latest 'on-message' propaganda, this all in an attempt to educate the poor heathen (ie. AA members) and show us the error of our ways! Of course the Road to Recovery cult group - as with all such - seeks to gain legitimacy for its message by garbing itself in AA colours, and by appropriating the AA name to lend authenticity to its otherwise counterfeit product. This mongrel production manages to steer a fine line between fact and fiction, claiming adherence to the traditions of the fellowship whilst simultaneously taking every opportunity to pervert them, and in this respect their website is no exception to the rule. Here you will find an entire section devoted to the above-mentioned objective with an array of 'personalities' and 'gurus' busily flogging their dubious wares at various locations around the country, and this effort aimed mostly at what can only be described as an unsuspecting and therefore undiscriminating audience (ie. newcomers). Of course the group will no doubt point to their disclaimer that the site is in no way affiliated to Alcoholics Anonymous whilst at the same time their banner proclaims precisely the opposite. However we have to admit this group is entirely consistent in both its approach and ideology - image is all, and the truth?.... Well that's mostly an inconvenient accessory!

But they are not alone in their “economic-with-the-truth” approach to propagandising their third or even fourth rate “take” on the recovery programme. We would point here to such groups as the Primary Purpose/Back to Basics etc gang who also have a particular penchant for propagating their spurious message via the internet. Frequently such groups will use the AA name quite overtly (most notably the Primary Purpose group Dallas - the 'mother ship' of the Primary Purpose movement) the sites themselves knowingly carry misleading information relating to AA (specifically its recovery rates in the last instance) whilst simultaneously promoting the 'cult of personality' which is the hallmark of their activities. Their websites moreover will generally carry a disclaimer of non-affiliation with AA and by this means they endeavour to side-step the traditions whilst riding on the back of the AA 'brand” to maximise their credibility. But what else would you expect from a movement that is essentially flawed and rationalises its message on the back of a GREAT BIG LIE!!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)